


Just Checking

by amandasarmada



Series: What Else? [17]
Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-21
Updated: 2015-03-21
Packaged: 2018-03-18 20:53:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3583623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amandasarmada/pseuds/amandasarmada
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The night Danny asked C.J. to marry him.  (Revised and expanded Jan 20, 2016.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Checking

**Author's Note:**

> This is fluffy as hell, and I could not care less. Whew. Brush your teeth afterwards, it's sweet.

**Monday, June 4, 2007**

She was in the middle of a very nice dream. They were at the beach and the sun was shining, and Danny was curled up next to her on a blanket, his arms wrapped around her as his lips brushed hers. He moved his lips to her neck, then gradually down to her shoulder. She smiled, fidgeting in her sleep.

“Morning.” C.J. opened her eyes, seeing Danny sitting on the edge of the bed, his lips poised over her shoulder, a smile reaching up to his eyes. C.J. blinked, but grinned back, still sleepy, and he leaned down to kiss her open mouth, her teeth shining through her wide smile.

He pulled away a moment later, looking at her intently.

“ _Morning_ ,” she replied, laughing.

He continued to gaze at her, tipping his head slightly. “Someday you'll have to tell me how you do that,” he said softly.

“Do what?” She smiled sleepily at him, yawning as she started to stretch her arms across her chest.

“Look beautiful first thing in the morning,” he said calmly, his voice a gentle rasp.

C.J. laughed, and he just shook his head, watching her. “You're glowing.”

“Good dream and a tan will do that to you,” she told him, leaning up for another quick kiss.

They broke apart a second later, and C.J. sat up slowly, still smiling slightly as she blinked quickly a few times, looking around the room and trying to get her bearings. Her eyes fell on the nightstand to her right, where a tray was perched, laden down with a plate of pancakes, a piece of fruit, and a glass of orange juice.

“Ohh, Danny, what is this?” C.J. murmured, turning to look at him, her eyes still heavy with sleep.

“I made ya breakfast,” he said lightly, grinning as he leaned across to hand her the orange juice from the nightstand. “You hungry?”

“You're so sweet,” C.J. murmured, pulling him in for another peck on the lips. “But I thought we were past the stage where you felt like you had to dote on me every second,” she added curiously. She was smiling, but she suddenly looked more alert, as she accepted the glasses he was now offering her and put them on.

“We'll never quite be past that,” Danny murmured, leaning forward to kiss her softly. She looked at him silently, thinking, her lips still tingling. “Brought you the paper, too,” he continued. “It's a special edition. I wrote it a couple weeks back, just saving it for the right morning,” he added lightly.

She felt her face warm, smiling in spite of herself. “I can't read it with you watching me,” C.J. warned him, blushing furiously now.

He raised his eyebrows, teasing her. “Oh, I see,” he said saucily. She looked up at him as he stood, laughing as she reached to touch his face. “No, no – I can take a hint,” he said with exaggerated calmness, turning around as C.J. grinned. “I make you breakfast, write sweet nothings for you, and now you're giving me the boot.” He jumped away to avoid her swat, but her hand brushed up against his backside anyway. He turned back, raising his eyebrows innocently. “You're giving me mixed signals there, Ms. Cregg.”

“Get _out_!” C.J. laughed, spilling a bit of the orange juice on herself and only narrowly missing the newspaper. He ducked out, a small bead of sweat shining on his forehead as he heard the sound of it opening.

 

**A WARM WELCOME BACK FOR L.A.'S MOST RADIANT PHILANTHROPIST**

_Special Correspondent Danny Concannon was thrilled this past Saturday, as he welcomed back the newly-appointed President for the Franklin Hollis Foundation, former White House Chief-of-Staff Claudia Jean Cregg, who recently returned from a 3-week trip to Central Africa as part of her work with the foundation. “We've been apart for long periods before, of course,” Concannon explains, looking contemplative. “But that doesn't make it any easier. The moment you see the woman you love walking through that airport, everything else just stops. You could be in the midst of an all-nighter, or completely bombed by the flu, whatever – you see that smile lighting up the terminal, and you feel like you could walk on water.”_

_Upon being asked what makes that moment so poignant, Concannon pauses. “It's everything. You can tell she's tired, and she doesn't like commercial flights, but her eyes light up when she spots you. You pull her into your arms and she's warm and steady, and you never want to let go. I missed her more than I can properly express, but I'm so proud of her and amazed by what she continues to accomplish.”_

 

C.J. closed the paper, feeling like the butterflies in her stomach were aiming for a gold medal today. “ _Daaaanny_ ,” she called, trying to wipe the stupid grin off her face before he arrived back in the room. She knew she was busted when he stepped into the room a moment later; he'd obviously been waiting nearby, even as she took the time to read the paper through and work on downing her breakfast. “Why do you _do_ this?” She asked, but she was smiling.

“To show you that I love ya.” Danny smiled at her from the doorway.

“I didn't exactly doubt it before,” C.J. murmured, and Danny came back to the bed to plant a quick kiss on the side of her face.

“Thank you,” she said quietly. “You're so good to me.”

He shook his head, moving the tray off the side of the bed and back onto the nightstand. “Come on. You know I like doing it.” He flashed her a grin.

C.J. paused, as he stretched out next to her, perching himself up on his elbow. “Danny.” He raised an eyebrow casually. “...Does this have anything to do with the talk we had the other night?”

Danny halted, his mouth opening slightly. He figured she'd suspect something eventually, but not right off the bat for god's sake. “Would it be okay if it did?” He asked carefully, watching her for the slightest shift in her expression.

C.J. gazed at him. “Mhm.”

“...Ah'kay.”

“Just checking,” C.J. told him, trying to sound casual.

“Pretty eager there, aren't ya?”

“Says the man cooking me breakfast and writing me love letters.”

“No, I'm serious. Don't get ahead of yourself there, Missy. Haven't you ever heard of playing hard-to-get?”

“Shut up, nimrod.” She swatted him with the folded up newspaper, not bothering to stifle her laugh.

Danny grinned at her before pulling her back into a longer kiss. He leaned her backwards so her back was against the headboard, his hands combing through her hair. She could feel the soft, steady rhythm of his heartbeat as her own rapid pulse slowed to a soothing sense of normality.

“So - just out of curiosity,” he murmured playfully, finally pulling away. She gazed at him steadily, trying to catch her breath. “You gonna make me ask you to marry me as many times as you made me ask ya out?”

C.J. sputtered, and Danny laughed, his lips coming back to peck hers before she could reason out a response. “Just checking,” he whispered.

* * *

Every morning that week was the same. Breakfast in bed, a newspaper with a “special edition” juxtaposed in, sometimes doting on her kindness, or her voice, or her passion for politics. When she got home each evening, dinner was set up at the table, with candles and soft music playing, and Danny would present her with a different bouquet of flowers. The dining room table was starting to look like they were having a party, and she joked that if he kept it up, the flowers would have to start spilling over into her office.

By Friday she was floating, and she strolled into her office at 9:00 AM sharp, then stopped upon seeing the giant bouquet of stargazer lilies sitting upon her desk. Her face broke out into a smile as Mattison walked up behind her, prepared with a blueberry muffin and a briefing folder. “Danny sent you flowers,” she said unnecessarily.

“I can see that,” C.J. smiled, approaching her desk and bending to smell them.

“Boy's got game,” Mattison said approvingly. “I could pick up some tips from him.”

“Lilies for Lily?” C.J. smirked at her. Mattie shrugged, grinning. “I never said I was original.”

“Do you know if Carol's in yet?” C.J. asked carefully, trying to keep her voice casual.

“Yeah, I bumped into her in the parking lot. You want me to page her?”

“No, I'm sure I can find her.” C.J. smiled at her, sidestepping her to walk through the halls. “You can get started on the schedule if you want, I'll catch up with you in a little while.”

She hurried to Carol's office, knocking lightly on the open door.

“Hey, C.J.” Carol smiled up at her from behind her desk. “I'm almost done with that report, don't worry.”

“Oh no, I don't need it until Monday anyway,” C.J. said dismissively, flashing her a nervous smile. “Do you have a minute?”

“Of course,” Carol said, a little surprised. “What can I do for you, C.J.?”

“This isn't work-related,” C.J. said carefully, closing the door behind her.

“Everything okay?” Carol asked, concerned. She studied C.J.'s face, and felt a smile unconsciously growing on her face to mirror her old friend and mentor's. C.J. hesitated, her small uncertain smile rising to her cheeks.

“C.J.?”

“Yeah. Sorry. So,” she said awkwardly. “We've been friends for a long time, right?” C.J. gazed at her nervously, wringing her hands.

“Of course, C.J.,” Carol laughed.

“And although I am still technically your boss, you can be honest with me and you're not uncomfortable if I talk about personal stuff?”

“C.J., what's going on?”

C.J. wrestled with her hands, catching her eye. “I think Danny's going to ask me to marry him,” she said softly.

There was a moment of silence, as Carol worked hard to keep the wide grin from spreading across her face. She wanted C.J. to know she would support her no matter what she was comfortable with - C.J. had never explicitly brought up getting married, and for all Carol knew she had no plans to.

“Wow,” she said carefully, keeping a close eye on C.J.'s face to read any nuances in her expression. “Well, C.J., you know I've been a fan of you two from the beginning, and clearly he makes you happy, but how do you feel about this?”

C.J. bit her bottom lip, trying not to smile and failing spectacularly. The little hint of her feelings was too much for Carol, and she squealed as C.J.'s grin grew, a blush reaching across her cheeks. Carol grinned, jumping up and pulling C.J. into a hug. “ _C.J!_ ” she exclaimed excitedly. “Oh my _god_ , I'm so happy for you!”

C.J. laughed loudly, the happiness on her face infectious. “Don't tell anyone, okay?” she urged. “I could be totally misinterpreting this. He's a romantic _guy_ ; it doesn't mean he's actually...” She took a deep breath, her eyes gleaming. “I could be wrong about it.”

“I don't think you are,” Carol said seriously. “Danny is crazy about you.”

C.J.'s smile widened again, a glow emanating from her that was almost palpable. Carol grinned back, hugging her again. “Okay, so why do you think he's gonna ask?” She guided C.J. to the seat perched across from her desk. “Tell me everything.”

* * *

That night she got home late, finally dragging her exhausted body in at a little after eight. She smiled at the elaborate dinner laid out, the multiple flower arrangements on the table having been moved to the counter and mantlepiece. “Hey you,” she said softly to Danny, greeting him with a kiss. “This is really too much.”

“It's really not,” he replied easily. “Please. Let me spoil you a bit,” he added, seeing her uncertain expression, and his huge smile made her stomach do somersaults. “How was your day?”

“Hah - long, but productive,” she answered, her voice low as her hands fluttered to fix a non-existent flaw on his collar. “What about you?”

He shrugged, his characteristic easy-going expression back on his face. “I spent eight hours skimming through 6 different books on my shortlist for possible textbooks.”

“That sounds fun,” she replied, her eyes twinkling.

His eyes traced over her face, drinking her in as he smiled back. “I can think of other ways I'd rather spend my time, but it wasn't so bad.” His hands had found their way under her hair, rubbing gently at her neck and upper back. “How 'bout I draw you a bath after dinner?”

“That depends. You gonna join me?” C.J. asked seductively, taking a half-step closer so that their torsos brushed against one another. Danny grinned, pulling her into a kiss. “What do you think I was talking about when I mentioned those other things I'd rather be doing?” he asked, smiling at her mischievously. C.J. laughed as he ran his fingers through her hair, then pulled him closer, pressing her lips to his.

* * *

Saturday morning she awoke slowly, enjoying the freedom to sleep in until ten. She sat up gingerly, then puzzled at seeing the bed empty beside her and the apartment quiet. She grabbed her robe from the hook on the bathroom door, pulling it on over her nightie.

“Danny?” She called curiously, peering into the kitchen.

It was deserted, although her eyes were immediately drawn to the table, which housed several dozen new floral arrangements, and a large basket of breakfast croissants. A newspaper lay in the middle of the table, and she recognized it immediately as the Washington Post.

She was a little confused as she flipped through the paper, unable to find any special “articles” Danny had inserted for her, until she got to the classifieds page.

Hidden in between the advertisements offering puppies and used drum sets, there was a flow of calligraphy that stood out amongst the standard Times New Roman.

_Claudia Jean_

_You are cordially invited to:_

_an all-day hike and romantic picnic_

_(lunch and dinner will be provided)_

_Please meet me in the southwest parking lot_

_at Franklin Canyon Park at one o'clock_

_(directions are hanging on the fridge)_

_Love,_

_Danny_  

* * *

“Hey, mystery man,” C.J. smiled, approaching the familiar redhead a few hours later.

“Hey, you're not the only one that can be elusive,” Danny grinned, wrapping her in a hug as she reached him.

“I can see that,” she said gamely. “Although I always thought it was a bit hypocritical for you to call _me_ elusive, when you'd _wander off_ for months at a time.”

“Fair point,” he admitted, chuckling. “Although, I had my reasons...as did you,” Danny conceded quickly, recognizing the combative glint starting to form in C.J.'s eyes.

C.J. grinned, leaning in to plant a five-second kiss on his eager lips. “This is pretty romantic, you know.” She looked around. “You sure we're still in L.A.? It's so...quiet."

“Yep. Exactly why I picked it,” Danny smiled, squeezing her reassuringly. “Today's just for us.”

“Okay,” she said softly, smiling back. He gazed at her for a second, tipping his head to the side as he studied her.

“Come on,” he said, taking her hand. “Let's go for a walk.”

* * *

Several hours later, they were spread out on a blanket, overlooking the lake under a dusky sky. C.J. was wrapped snugly in Danny's arms, smiling as he whispered in her ear and kissed her cheek, munching on some goldfish crackers he'd packed for her. It had been a long day, but a fun one. A picnic lunch and then a long hike, laughing and snapping pictures. They'd sat under a tree for at least an hour, reading aloud together, then cheerfully bickered about the recent event the book had been discussing, both certain they knew more about it than the other. Then dinner at the restaurant by the outskirts of the park, and a long walk along the lake, playing Name Five and Twenty Questions and swapping stories about their most outrageous childhood friends and teachers. Now they were resting; she'd spent the past ten minutes listening to him read from one of her favorite novels, and judging by the sudden jump in plot and pleasant drowsiness she was now experiencing, she suspected she might have nodded off for part of it. She smiled again, feeling him rub his hands up and down her arms, his breath on her cheek.

“Today has been amazing,” she murmured a minute later, looking sideways and meeting his eyes. She felt her breath catch as he gazed at her. This would be a good spot for it, she reflected. This week had been leading up to something, she was sure of it. And there they were, alone under the moonlight, the warm summer air wrapped around them like a blanket as he looked at her with the same dopey happiness he'd been greeting her with for the past nine years. Somewhere inside her, she felt a twinge of disappointment, realizing this expression could be interpreted as counterevidence. She reflected for a second, trying to clear her mind. He looked utterly sweet, but...she took a deep breath, wondering. She knew the way his eyes would look right before he asked. It wouldn't be the familiar twinkle that he was bestowing on her at this moment. She had to wait for that look of focus - less giddy than this one, but no less loving - the quiet intensity of his gaze as he seemed to probe into her soul. A prickle of uncertainty washed over her. Maybe it wasn't coming tonight, after all. Maybe he was being extra sweet to compensate; wanting, in the wake of her prompting the discussion that had been hanging in the air for the past few weeks, to show her that he did at least _love_ her, in an effort to soothe the disappointment of his continued delay in actually asking the question.

This unpleasant thought was whisked away a millisecond later, as he leaned forward, his lips suddenly brushing hers. C.J. felt her breath evaporate in a swoop, as she sunk into him. They pulled away several seconds later, and in her daze she almost missed the flash of his deep, searching expression, before it settled back into his look of easy adoration. Her brow furrowed.

“We've got one more stop,” Danny said, smiling as he stood, and offering her his outstretched hand.

* * *

She felt her worry start to lighten over the peaceful drive; Danny's jokes were keeping her at ease, even pushing the thoughts from her mind as she simply enjoyed his company. She looked around, intrigued, as he pulled off an unfamiliar exit, driving another half a mile down a couple of dark side streets before making his final turn.

“Danny? I think they're closed,” C.J. said, a little confused as he pulled into the empty parking lot.

“I think you're right,” Danny replied breezily, parking the car. “I pulled some strings,” he explained. She looked at him curiously, shrugging as she climbed out of the car.

C.J. followed him to the entrance, silently taking in the sign for the aquarium before the door opened. A smiling employee closed and locked the door behind them, before ducking out of view.

“How did you manage this?” C.J. asked, looking around the deserted building.

“Made some calls.” He shrugged, smiling bashfully. “Got them free advertising in the three biggest newspapers in Southern California.”

C.J. shook her head at him. “You really are something,” she said, eying him carefully as he took her hand, gently leading her forward.

She heard herself inhale as they passed out of the lobby; entering a long hall, she found herself greeted with a window into another world.

The aquarium at night was breathtaking. The dim blue light was strangely romantic, and C.J. gazed at the various fish in wonder as Danny slowly guided her through the museum, holding her hand and watching her. Her breath caught as something bigger than she was glided gracefully by, and Danny wrapped his arm around her waist, his other hand now grasping hers across their stomachs as they stood for a moment, following its progress down the hall.

“I think that was – a leopard shark?” he said uncertainly, watching it disappear. “Zebra,” she corrected, pointing at the display sign above them.

“It's the same thing,” he chuckled, glancing at her in amusement. C.J. furrowed her brow, momentarily annoyed. “Oh, listen to the oceanography expert,” she shot back, slightly exasperated. Danny laughed, kissing her cheek affectionately, and she felt herself grin as she shook her head.

She pulled him forward, their clasped hands now hanging loosely between them, and her eyes gradually took in the long line of individual placards bordering the exhibit. Brightly colored fish drifted dreamily by, and her heart skipped a beat as she caught sight of an enormous sea turtle.

“Yeah, they're my favorite too,” he said lightly, correctly reading her expression as he smiled at her. They both watched it for a minute, then she turned to look at him in silence, watching him watch the graceful creature, then squeezing his hand instinctively as he gently pulled her ahead.

“Danny, this is - lovely,” C.J. said quietly, gazing up at the long tunnel of water they were walking through a moment later. Her eyes followed the movements of the various marine animals as they walked, captivated. It took her a second to notice his eyes were only on her. She turned, meeting his gaze. He looked steadily back at her.

“I think there's an exhibit down here you'll want to see,” he said, his voice softer than she'd ever heard it. She followed him into a smaller display room, her curiosity piqued.

Her eyes fell on a wall covered in several dozen children's drawings, above which hung a sign that simply read, “ _The Common Goldfish._ ” C.J. laughed as she rushed forward, looking around in delight. There were a handful of personal home aquarium tanks spread on tables throughout the room, each containing a number of Gail's relatives. The walls housed displays outlying how to take care of a pet goldfish, and a sign showing feeding times, so children could volunteer to help drop in a couple flakes.

C.J.'s breath caught as she took it all in, and she walked closer to the nearest tank, gently releasing Danny's hand as she looked into it. “Danny, this is wonderful,” she laughed softly. She glanced up at him, grinning, before she returned her attention back to a tank, tracing the edge with a finger. “You know, even now, all these years later – I think that adorable look on your face when you gave me Gail just might be one of the sweetest things I've ever seen.”

She turned to smile at him, and caught him gazing at her. “You okay?” she asked, her voice low, as she raised an eyebrow.

Danny blinked, then smiled. “Yeah. Yeah, of course.” He took a step forward, kissing the side of her face. “Give me a second, okay? I'll be right back.” C.J. shrugged, smiling at him as he turned, backtracking out of the room.

C.J. turned back to the display, placing a finger into one of the tanks and smiling at the fish. She looked up at the wall of drawings, seeing dozens of childish depictions of what she knew were supposed to be goldfish, despite the range of colors from orange to purple. She chuckled, hugging her arms to her chest. She continued to survey the room, glancing around. There was a wider table towards the wall, lined with individual goldfish bowls. As she approached it, she noticed each had a post-it note with a name written across it. Above the table was a sign, reading “ _Pet Project:_ _Mark Taper Elementary – Miss Coleman's First-Grade Class_.” She smiled.

It was a minute or so later that she felt his arms wrap around her from behind, squeezing her lightly. “Hey,” she said, laughing happily, as his beard tickled her face at his kiss to her cheek. “Hey,” he replied, his voice cracking. He licked his lips, bending his head to whisper into her ear.

“I have a confession to make,” he said softly.

“Should I be worried?” she smiled, still looking at the cluster of bowls.

“I hope not,” he said lightly, then paused. He breathed, then murmured - “I had ulterior motives, bringing you here tonight.”

This hung over them for a second, as C.J.'s heart started beating like a bass drum. She could feel it pounding feverishly as she turned her head back towards him, studying his face. She felt strangely weightless all of a sudden, and like her heart might leap out of her chest. Danny had bowed his head slightly, cradling his head on her shoulder. His gaze was lowered, his hands resting gently on each side of her waist.

“Look on the table,” he said gently.

She felt her heart racing as she silently scanned the display in front of them, biting her lip as she tried to settle her excited breathing – almost two dozen glass bowls, each with a golden body swimming happily through it, some of them almost hidden by the little yellow sticky note identifying the child endowed with caring for it. She bit harder on her bottom lip, thinking.

“One of 'em's for you,” he explained, his voice soft. “It's got your name on it.”

C.J. closed her eyes for a second, as realization sat in. She inhaled deeply, trying to steady her emotions. Her voice sounded a mile away when she spoke. “You got me another fish?”

She heard herself give a choked laugh, anxious to mask her disappointment, silently berating herself. It really was very, very sweet, not to mention incredibly romantic. For that matter, Gail was long overdue for a fishy friend. She felt herself give a genuine smile, actually touched, as her eyes surveyed the table of bowls, reading the names. Katie, Michael, Jacob, Olivia, Rachel...

A half-second later, her gaze had lit on it; on the left, and towards the back. _C.J._ She reached toward it carefully, a bittersweet smile still occupying her features.

“Not exactly,” Danny said softly. She realized he'd dropped his hands from her waist, stepping backwards.

C.J. was frowning, already having discovered the problem. The bowl was filled with clear, beautiful water, adorned with a tiny treasure chest on the bottom. Conspicuously missing, however, was the glitter of gold scales gliding peacefully through each of the other glass bowls.

She turned to face him, confusion etched across her face, and she heard herself give a sudden intake of breath, only vaguely aware of the sudden jump in her chest.

He'd changed, for one thing. The khakis and button-up plaid shirt of their hike had been replaced with a gray suit – she had a flash of memory to mentioning, months ago, that it was one of her favorites. His curls were slick and damp, like he had splashed his face with water, and his eyes shone. He looked utterly handsome, and her breath whisked out of her as she took in the sight. He was watching her intently, his expression unmistakably nervous.

“Danny?” she murmured, staring at him.

His eyes were gleaming, and he was silent as he studied her for a moment. She could feel the wetness welling in her eyes, but her voice was mute as she tried to open her mouth. He smiled at her, taking a deep breath. “I'm sorry,” he chuckled. “I'm just. I'm nervous.”

She gave him a small smile, trying to reassure him, listening patiently as she looked into his face. “Danny?” she repeated, whispering this time. He smiled back, still looking as if he was gazing into the sun.

“And you kinda scooped me here with this, but I forgive you.” He laughed, a bundle of nerves and excitement. She laughed too, one of those slightly embarrassed laughs that were so contagious. She felt a tingle of heat wash over her, but she felt strangely calm. Time seemed to have slowed down as she stood there watching him.

“Danny.”

He took a few steps towards her, placing one hand on the side of her waist as their eyes met. “You are the love of my life, C.J.”

She gazed at him, speechless. Her looked at her wistfully, his eyes drinking her in in that way that always made her heart beat just a little bit faster.

“I love you more than anything in this world.” He sighed, taking a deep breath as he started to smile. “You are...everything I've ever wanted. Brilliant, and kind, and passionate, and good. You amaze me...and you inspire me...and you move me.” He choked for a second on his words, his eyes twinkling. “I've been in love with you longer than you know, and I'm going to love you for the rest of my life.” He paused.

“Being with you has been the happiest time of my life. And all I want is to spend the rest of my life trying to make you as happy as you make me.” C.J. felt the tears starting, and she wiped them quickly away, and Danny leaned forward to kiss her cheek, before resuming his monologue. “You're the most incredible woman I've ever met. You - captivate me, and this thing between us, this spark...I always knew I was going to do this someday.” He laughed nervously, looking almost bashful. She smiled at him encouragingly as he continued. “...And I think you might be ready, but if you're not, I want you to understand, I will always love you. I will always be there for you. And God, if you _are_ ready...I can make you so happy.” His voice broke. “I told you months ago we were gonna get good at new things, and I've watched you start opening up to me, watched you reach out and grow into the partner I always knew you could be. You're the most loving person I've ever met, and I'm so lucky I get to be loved by you. I want to spend the rest of my life, feeling like this. Being with you. You're it, C.J. You've been it since the very beginning.”

She was crying openly now, the tears falling fast, as she looked lovingly at him.

“Claudia Jean Cregg.”

“Oh my god, Danny,” she whispered.

“Yeah. Sorry to call your bluff,” he chuckled, squeezing her hand and grinning.

And he was down. C.J. stared down at the man on his knee in front of her, barely registering the box he had pulled out of his pocket and was now opening.

“Claudia Jean Cregg,” Danny spoke her name with love and awe, his soft voice cascading over her like a warm bath. “Will you marry me?”

“Yes.”


End file.
